Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California. The purple sand at this beach (which is only found in patches) is formed when manganese garnet deposits in the surrounding hills erode into the sea. Image credits: irene joy

Cave Beach in Algarve, The Algarve coast consists of limestone, which is easily eroded and can form stunning sea caves like this one. Portugal. Image credits: Bruno Carlos

Unique Glass Beach in California. The glass beach near Fort Bragg in California formed after the trash dumped there for years by local residents was pounded into sand by the surf. The dumping was eventually prohibited, but the glass sand remains.Image credits: digggs

Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas. The idyllic pink sand of the Bahamas is pigmented by washed-up coral remnants, which are dashed and ground to tiny pieces by the surf.Image credits: greenglobe.travel

Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland. The giant’s causeway was formed 50-60 million years ago when basalt lava rose to the surface and cooled, cracking into strange, large columns.Image credits: Stefan Klopp

Hidden beach in Marieta, Mexico. This beach in Mexico is said to have formed after the Mexican government used the uninhabited islands for target practice in the 1900s.Image credits: Miguel Naranjo

Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii . The black sand on Punaluu is formed by basalt lava, which explodes as it flows into the sea and rapidly cools. Image credits: hawaiitopten.com

The Beach of the Cathedrals, Ribadeo, Spain. The stunning cathedral-like arches and buttresses of this beach in Spain were formed by pounding water over thousands upon thousands years.. Image credits: imgur.com

Maldives Beach That Looks Like Starry Night Sky. The lights on this beach in the Maldives are caused by microscopic bioluminescent phytoplankton, which give off light when they are agitated by the surf.Image credits: Will Ho

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii. The green sand on this beach in Hawaii is caused by the mineral olivine, which is formed by lava as it cools in the sea. Image credits: Mark Ritter

Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas. The idyllic pink sand of the Bahamas is pigmented by washed-up coral remnants, which are dashed and ground to tiny pieces by the surf. Image credits: luxuo.com

The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: Farkul J

Green Sand In Kourou, French Guiana. Image credits: Arria Belli

Maldives Beach That Looks Like Starry Night Sky. The lights on this beach in the Maldives are caused by microscopic bioluminescent phytoplankton, which give off light when they are agitated by the surf.Image credits: Will Ho

Jokulsarlon, Iceland. The black volcanic sand on this Icelandic beach contrasts beautifully with the white and glassy chunks of ice.Image credits: D-P Photography

Giants Causeway Beach, Ireland. The giant’s causeway was formed 50-60 million years ago when basalt lava rose to the surface and cooled, cracking into strange, large columns. Image credits: Michael

The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: arikairflight.blogspot.com

Red Sand Beach, Rabida, Galapagos. The red sand at Rabida was formed due to the oxidization of iron-rich lava deposits, although it could also be due to washed-up coral sediments.

Papakōlea Green Sand Beach, Hawaii. The green sand on this beach in Hawaii is caused by the mineral olivine, which is formed by lava as it cools in the sea. Image credits: paradisepin.com

Pfeiffer Purple Sand Beach, California. The purple sand at this beach (which is only found in patches) is formed when manganese garnet deposits in the surrounding hills erode into the sea. Image credits: Tom Grubbe | dfmead

The Moeraki Boulders (Dragon Eggs) In Koekohe Beach, New Zealand. The boulders on this New Zealand beach are concretions – balls of sedimentary rock harder than the sedimentary earth that formed around them, which has long since washed away. These boulders get uncovered and smoothed by pounding waves. Image credits: Gerald Guerubin

Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Hawaii. The black sand on Punaluu is formed by basalt lava, which explodes as it flows into the sea and rapidly cools. Image credits: poco a poco

Shell Beach, Shark Bay, Australia. The water near Shell Beach in Australia is so saline that the cockle clam has been able to proliferate unchecked by its natural predators. It is this abundance of molluscs that floods the beaches with their shells.

Unique Glass Beach in California. The glass beach near Fort Bragg in California formed after the trash dumped there for years by local residents was pounded into sand by the surf. The dumping was eventually prohibited, but the glass sand remains.

Hidden beach in Marieta, Mexico. This beach in Mexico is said to have formed after the Mexican government used the uninhabited islands for target practice in the 1900s.Image credits: dailymail.co.uk

Red Sand Beach, Rabida, Galapagos. Image credits: Robert Peternel The red sand at Rabida was formed due to the oxidization of iron-rich lava deposits, although it could also be due to washed-up coral sediments.

Vik Beach, Iceland. Iceland is a land with a lot of volcanic activity, which is why black volcanic beaches are so common there. Image credits: Stephan Amm